Gas lifejacket only part inflates

[SimbaDog]

Anyone come across this?
Done an MCA sea survival course & thought I would pull the cord & inflate my brand new lifejacket as I haven't had occasion to set one off before . Glad I did as just one of the bladders inflated slowly (about 8 seconds or so) & other side just managed to pop the velcro panel open !!
Lucky it was beside a pool & not in the middle of the channel.
Instructor checked the bottle & agreed it was tight.
Slightly worrying me thinks /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Nigel_Ward]

A few years ago I was involved in a project testing inflatable lifejackets for use by commercial fishermen. The lifejackets were mostly the type that yachtsmen would use, both single and twin chamber. Three of us guinea pigs tested 15 lifejackets by jumping into a pool and seeing how they would inflate. Some lifejackets were new and some had been used at sea. All were automatic.

One that I tested was brand new. It opened the co2 cylinder on entering the water but the mouth inflator cap had been left in the "deflate" position so I was surrounded by bubbles but with no inflation of the lifejacket. I eventually found the mouth tube and was able to blow it up.


What it taught me is to check and get to know my own lifejacket and not rely on anyone else. Also, it is important to know what a lifejacket feels like when inflated as some press very hard around you neck.

Before servicing my lifejacket now I always set it off to check the condition of the bladder and fittings and I always check that the cylinder is screwed in tightly on regular occasions as they do come loose.

 

[andy_wilson]

A good lifejacket will be marked with the correct cylinder size for inflation.

Are you sure they are right?

 

[bilbobaggins]

Did a range of sea survival training courses over two decades, run by the RAF at dedicated units such as RAF Mountbatten. These still exist, doing much the same job today. So there are many thousands of ex-service personnel around who will have much the same story to tell......

Despite the attentions of highly-trained and conscientious Safety Equipment personnel servicing and checking each lifejacket and each liferaft before use each day, something around a quarter of 'em failed to work - for whatever reason - when required.

That proportion has continued more or less unchanged. Think on it.


/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[SimbaDog]

[ QUOTE ]
A good lifejacket will be marked with the correct cylinder size for inflation.

Are you sure they are right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, confirmed by RNLI examiner, this lifejacket was brand new out of it's packaging!

Doesn't give you a lot of confidence should you need to use one in anger does it /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif